Foldable luggage bag



Sept. 20, 1966 R. KORET FOLDABLE LUGGAGE BAG 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1963 INVENTOR.

BY Richard Kore! 311% s. #M

AT TORNEY Sept. 20, 1966 R. KORET 3,273,678

FOLDABLE LUGGAGE BAG Filed Sept. 5, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 20, 1966 R. KORET FOLDABLE LUGGAGE BAG Filed Sept. 5. 1963 FIG] 355 34 Ml *FEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII United States Patent Oil ice 3,273,678 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 3,273,678 FOLDABLE LUGGAGE BAG Richard Koret, Bedford Hills, N.Y., assignor to Koret, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 306,203 9 Claims. (Cl. 190-43) This invention relates to luggage bags, and more particularly concerns luggage bags of the sectionalized, folding type.

Luggage bags of varying constructional details have been provided but all have a common emphasis on the details thereof which relate to suspending and carrying full length garments such as coats, suits, dresses and the like. Minor consideration is given to provisions for carrying smaller items of apparel such as shirts, shoes and the like.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved luggage bag having constructional details which permit the same to carry a number of suits, together with an inner compartment construction which allows for the carriage of a substantial quantity of smaller items of wearing apparel including shirts, .shoes and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a luggage bag an improved compartment arrangement on one foldable section thereof wherein the compartment is formed of flexible walls which allow for automatic adjustment of the depth of the compartment in accordance with the bulk of the contents thereof when the bag sections are in opposed folded relation to each other.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a foldable luggage bag having sections thereof longitudinally related to each other when the bag is in its open, unfolded condition, a garment holding compartment on one of the sections; such compartment being of a walled character and of substantial depth so as to maximize the capacity thereof yet lending itself to a reduction in depth when the bulk of the contents of the compartment is less than the maximum capacity thereof; the compartment including structural details which facilitate access to the compartment for inserting or removing items therefrom.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved luggage bag of the folding section type, which in its closed condition presents an attractive appearance which is suggestive of the more conventional, non-folding types of luggage.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide in a luggage bag of the sectionalized folding type, a walled compartment on one section thereof formed of flexible material and including a flexible transparent wall portion which leaves the contents of the compartment visible as soon as the bag is opened to its extended condition; said wall portion being arranged to provide quick acting means for opening the compartment to gain ready access to the contents thereof or to insert articles therein.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a plan view of a luggage bag embodying the invention, in its open extended condition, and with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof when the bag is in its closed, folded condition;

FIG. 3 is an end view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a partial bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of a portion of the compartment thereof looking at the lower left side portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an end view of a hook suspending portion of the bag;

FIG. 9 is an elevational View thereof; and

FIG. 10 is a partial plan view of the top of said luggage bag.

Essentially the luggage bag of the instant invention comprises a pair of sections foldable toward each other about a transversely disposed median line; one of the sections including means for suspending garments such as suits or the like from the end wall thereof; the other section having a walled compartment upstanding from its inner surface for carrying shirts or the like, the wall being formed of flexible material to allow the compartment to flexibly adjust to its total contents at any given time.

Thus, as shown in the drawings, and particularly FIG. 1 thereof, 10 designates a foldable luggage bag embodying the invention. As indicated in FIG. 1, such bag 10 is shown in its open, extended condition and comprising a garment suspending section 11, at one end thereof and a compartment section 12 at the other end thereof. Sections 11, 12 are connected by an intermediate medial fold section 13.

The garment suspending section 11 comprises an inner flat wall 14 with a U shaped wall portion 15 upstanding fro-m side edges 14A and end edge 14B of wall 14. The wall portion 15 comprises a pair of parallel portions 16 with semi-circular end edges 16A which provide the opposite end walls of the bag 10 in its folded closed condition, see FIG. 3. Walls 16 are connected by wall 17 which forms the bottom wall of the bag in its folded closed condition, see FIG. 4.

The compartment section 12 is foldable about intermediate section 13 into opposed relation to wall 14 and spaced therefrom by wall portions 16. A pair of slide fastener closure elements 18 are provided to engage slide fastener elements carried on tapes secured to edge portions 19, 20 and 21 of the compartment section 12 and to edge portions '22 on the semicircular ends \16A of walls 16 and to edge portions 23, 24 and 25 of wall portions 16 and 17; thus retaining sections 11 and 12 in closed relation yet allowing for rapid separation and opening of the sections to their extended position shown in FIG. 1.

The slide fastener elements on their tapes for securing sections 11, 1'2 start at a point 26 which corresponds to the juncture of the semicircular wall portions 16A with the wall 13 of section 11, as indicated in FIG. 3.

The compartment section 12 comprises a flat bag wall 27 defined by edges 19, 20 and 2.1 with a flexible, walled compartment 28 of rectangular shape upstanding from wall 27. Compartment 28 comprises a flexible bottom wall 29 overlying wall 27; parallel side walls 30, 31 and parallel end wall 32 of flexible material upstanding from wall 29. The walls 30-32 are formed of doubled layers of flexible plastic sheeting; the bottom wall 29 being formed of a single thickness of plastic sheeting.

The compartment 28 further includes a flexible, transparent plastic top wall 34 which is stitched along the outer side edge thereof to the upper edge of side wall 31, while the end edges and inner side edge of top wall 34 are connected to corresponding top edge portions of compart ment walls 30, 32 by slide fastener closure means indicated at 35 connecting zipper closure elements 35 on a lower tape 35A stitched to the top edges of walls 30, 32 and zipper closure elements 35 on an upper tape 35B stitched to corresponding edge portions of top wall 34. Thus, slidable closure means 35' starts at point A on the left hand end wall- 32, looking at FIG. 1, moves along said left hand end Wall 32, about side wall 30 and along the right hand end wall 32 to a point therein corresponding to said point A, to detachably connect partially top wall 34 along edges thereof to the top edges of wall 30 and walls 32.

The bottom wall 29 of compartment 28 is stitched along its outer side edge and end edges to bag wall 27, leaving the opposed surfaces of walls 27, 29 in unattached relation, thus providing a flat compartment 36 therebetween which is accessible along edge 37 of wall- 29. A flat reinforcing bar 38 is disposed along edge 37 of wall 29 extending at the opposite ends thereof to the opposite side edge portions of fold section 13, see FIG. 1, being enclosed in a pocket formed by a strip 39 stitched to the underside of wall 29 along the side edges of said strip 39, FIG. 6.

The reinforcing bar 38 stiffens the bag transversely along the compartment section 12 thereof while forming a frame element at the longitudinal opening to compartment 36.

The inner walls 14 and 27 of bag sections 11, 12, as well as the inner wall 13A of intermediate section 13 are formed of plastic sheeting which is laminated to an outer wall 40 formed of a suitable wear resisting material such as a pile fabric or the like; said outer wall 40 presenting the outer exposed surfaces of bag sections 11, 12 and 13 as well as end walls 16. r

A fiat reinforcing bar 41 is located between wall portion 13A of fold section 13 and outer wall 40, being retained in place by parallel stitch lines 42 which form a pocket to receive said bar 41. Wall portion 13A forms the top wall of bag 10 when sections 11, 12 are in their folded opposed condition and rivet means 43 extends through said wall portion 13A, wall 40 and bar 41 to provide means for securing looped elements 44 against an outer reinforcing strip 45 stitched to the outer surface 46 of wall 40 at fold section 13. Handle means 47 having looped ends are mounted in the looped elements 44. Additional rein-forcing strips 48 are stitched to the outer surface of wall portion 46 at the opposite ends thereof.

The end walls 16 and bottom wall 17 are formed of plastic sheeting laminated to outer wall 40A of a material similar to that of outer wall 40. The bottom wall 17, which provides means for suspending the bag 10 in its open, unfolded condition, is doubled in thickness as at 50 to reinforce the same and to allow for the mounting thereon of a slotted, tubular hanger suspension bar 51 by rivet means 52. a

The bar 51 is formed with an elongated slot 54 which communicates with the bore of tubular bar 51 and extends at one end thereof to a point short of one end of bar 51. Hangers 55 for suits or the like, are removably mounted on bar 51 by means of a swivel hook 56 on the hangers 55, which hook 56 includes a stem portion 57 with an enlarged head 58 on the terminal end of stem portion 57. The bar 51 is provided at its outer end and at the rear thereof with a slightly enlarged opening 59 which communicates with slot 54 whereby the head 58 on stem portion 57 may be moved into the bore of bar 51 by way of opening 59 to allow the stern portion 57 to slide in slot 54 for engaging the hangers 55 from bar 51. Upon reversing the sliding movement of stem portion 57 in slot 54 of bar 51, the hangers 55 may be disengaged from bar 51.

It will be apparent that hangers 55 may be suspended on bar 51 but may be quickly removed therefrom, as desired, the swivel hooks 56 then being turned to allow the hangers 55 to be used in a conventional manner; yet permitting the same hangers 55 to have their swivel hooks turned inwardly, as shown in FIG. 1 when said hangers 55 are mounted on bar 51.

Screws, not shown, pass through the doubled thickness of walls 17, 50 and outer wall portion 40A to secure in place metal footing members 60. The walls 17, 50 also carry on their outer surface on a mid portion thereof an articulated hook member 61 anchored at 62 for suspending the bag 10 in its open, extended condition, in a well known manner. A flexible locking flap 63 secured at one end along an edge portion of wall 17 and with a lock fastener element 64 at the free end thereof, overlies the suspending hook 61 and fastener element 64 may be received in a keeper member 65 secured in place on the outer surface of wall 40' adjacent edge 20, see FIGS. 2-4.

The bag 10 is further reinforced by a fiat bar 66 extending over the outer surface of wall 14 and disposed parallel to reinforcing bar 38; said bar 66 being secured in place by rivets 67 at the opposite ends thereof.

Garments suspended within bag 10 on hangers 55 are folded about a fold bar 68 when the bag sections 11, 12 are folded toward each other. Fold bar 68 formed of wood or the like, is located over concealed reinforcing bar 41 and is formed at its opposite ends with transverse slots 69 to pass the free ends of strap members 70, 71 therethrough. The strap members 70, 71 are anchored at their respective inner ends by rivets 72 passing through the reinforcing bar 41. The terminal ends of strap members 70, 71 are interconnected by buckle means 73 over the mid portion of fold bar 68.

The peripheral edges of the bag sections 11, 12 as well as the fold section 13 are reinforced by a plastic beading 75 located along the edges of the outer wall covering 40 and a beading 76 located adjacent the slide fastener tapes at edges 1925 of the several bag sections; such beadings being stitched in place as indicated in FIG. 7.

Suits of clothes, not shown, are adapted to be hung on hangers 55 which are suspended by their hooks 56 on bar 51, while the bag 10 is in its open, extended condition. The ifold bar 68 is placed over the topmost suit and strap members 70, 71 adjusted to dispose bar 68 in close engagement with the suits; the buckle means 73 retaining the strap members in connected relation.

The lower portions of the suits, which now overlie the compartment 28, are folded forwardly about fold bar 68 into bag section 11. The compartment 28 may be filled with shirts or the like through the opening formed when slide fastener closure means 35 is operated to disengage the top wall 34 from side and end walls 30, 32. The closure means 35 is then operated to close compartment 28.

The bag section 12 is then folded about fold section 13 toward bag section 11 and slide fasteners 18 are then operated to retain said sections 11, 12 in folded, opposed relation. The flexible walls of compartment 28 permit said compartment to accommodate itself automatically to the bulk of its contents and to the adjacent folded suits in section 11.

When closure members 18 are brought together, as indicated in FIG. 4, the flap 63 may then be manipulated to bring latch means 64 into locked engagement with keeper means 65; the flap 63 then covering the dual slide fasteners 18, and also covering the articulated suspending hook 61, which is retained in place on wall 17 by a strap member 61A whose free end is removably engaged with a stud 61B.

When bag 10 is opened, the reverse operations take place, exposing the suspending hook 61 and allowing the sections 11, 12 to be unfolded, when the slide fasteners 18 have been manipulated to separate the interconnected sections 11, 12, 13. With sections 11, 12 in opened, extended condition, compartment 28 is readily accessible and its contents may be viewed through the transparent top wall 34 for selection or the like.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A foldable, flexible walled luggage bag comprising in the open, extended condition thereof, a longitudinally extending flexible wall, said wall including a garment holding section at one end thereof, a compartment section at the other end thereof, and a transversely extending fold section connecting said garment holding and compartment sections. A U shaped wall member having an end and parallel side portions respectively upstanding from corresponding edge portions at one end of said flexilble wall and the side edges extending therefrom, the free ends of the parallel side portions of said U shaped wall member extending to one side of said fold section, flexible compartment means on the compartment section of said wall, said compartment means comprising parallel side walls and parallel end walls, the inner side wall of said compartment means being located adjacent the other side of said fold section, the outer side wall of said compartment means upstanding from the other end edge of said flexible wall and the end walls of said compartment means respectively upstanding from the side edges of said compartment section, and a flexible transparent top wall connecting the top edge portions of the side and end walls of said compartment means, and slide fastener closure means connecting the inner side edge and the end edges of said top wall with the adjacent edge portions of the inner side wall and end walls of said compartment means.

2. A foldable luggage bag as in claim 1 wherein said compartment section is foldable toward said garment carrying section with the compartment means receivable within the U-shaped wall member on said garment holding section, and slide fastener closure means interconnecting the end edges and outer side edge of said compartment section and the end edge portions of said fold section to the end edges and outer side edge of said U shaped wall member.

3. A foldable luggage bag as in claim 2 wherein said compartment means includes a bottom wall overlying the compartment section of said longitudinally extending wall, the outer side and end edges substantially coincident with the corresponding edges of said compartment section wall portion and secured thereto, whereby to provide a flat compartment defined by the opposed compartment bottom wall and said compartment section wall portion, said flat compartment being accessible from the inner side edge of said bottom wall.

4. A fold-able luggage bag comprising in the open, extended condition thereof, a continuous, longitudinally extending substantially rectangular flexible wall, said flexible wall comprising in longitudinal succession a garment holding section, a fold section and a compartment section, said garment holding and compartment sections being foldable about said fold section into opposed relation, a U shaped wall member having an end wall portion and parallel side wall portions, the bottom edges of the wall portions of said U shaped wall member being secured to corresponding edge portions of said garment holding section wall portion, said U shaped wall member providing the bottom and end walls of said luggage bag in the folded, closed condition thereof, a flexible walled compartment on the compartment section of said longitudinally extending wall, said compartment including upstanding parallel side walls and parallel end walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, said compartment side and end walls being of substantial depth and projecting into the garment holding portion of said bag defined by said U shaped member and the garment holding section of said longitudinal flexible wall when said bag is in its folded, closed condition, the flexible side and end walls of said compartment being reducible in depth to conform to the bulk of the contents of said compartment.

5. A luggage bag as in claim 4 wherein said top Wall of the compartment is of flexible, transparent plastic to allow for viewing the contents of said compartment, and slide fastener closure means connecting side and end edge portions of said top wall to corresponding upper side and end edge portions of one side wall and both end Walls of said compartment, whereby to readily open and close said compartment to allow for quick insertion or removal of the contents of said compartment.

6. A foldable luggage bag construction comprising in its open, extended condition, a continuous, elongated wall having opposite end edges and opposite side edges with a garment hanging section at one end thereof, a compartment carrying section at the other end thereof and a transversely extending, narrow, medially located fold section between said garment hanging and compartment carrying sections, an inverted U shaped wall member upstanding from the garment hanging section of said continuous wall and having parallel wall portions secured at the bottom edges thereof to the side edge portions of said garment hanging section and an end wall portion interconnecting said parallel wall portions and secured at the bottom edge thereof to one end edge of said continuous wall, the free ends of the parallel wall portions of said inverted U shaped wall member being located adjacent one side of said fold section, a flexible, collapsible compartment upstanding from the compartment carrying section of said continuous wall, said compartment comprising flexible opposed side and opposed end walls and a flexible, transparent top wall fixedly connected along at least one edge thereof to opposed top edges of said side and end walls and detachably connected along other edges thereof to opposed top edges of said side and end walls, the side wall-s of said compartment being parallel to the end edges of said continuous wall, the outer side wall of said compartment being located adjacent the other end edge of said continuous wall, the inner side wall of said compartment being located adjacent the other side of said fold section, said compartment carrying section being foldable about said fold section toward the garment hanging section to locate the opposite end walls and the outer side wall of said compartment adjacent and inwardly of the respective wall portions of said inverted U shaped wall member, and slide fastener means for detachably interconnecting opposed edge portions of the compartment carrying section and fold section of said continuous wall and the top and free end edge portions of said inverted U shaped wall member.

7. A luggage bag as in claim 6, wherein said compartment further includes a bottom wall overlying the compartment carrying section of said continuous wall, the bottom edges of the side and end walls of the com-partment being connected to the corresponding edges of said bottom wall, the inner side edge of said compartment bottom wall being unsecured to the compartment carrying section of said continuous wall whereby to provide a flat compartment therebetween which opens toward said fold section.

8. A luggage bag as in claim 7 and further including a thin reinforcing bar mounted on the underside of said compartment bottom Wall along the inner side edge thereof, said bar extending at the opposite ends thereof to side edge portions of the compartment carrying section of said continuous wall.

9. A luggage bag as in claim 6 and further including a flat reinforcing bar mounted on said fold section and extending the opposite ends thereof to the side edge portions otf said fold section, handle means on the outer side of said fold section, and anchor means for the opposite ends of said handle means fixed to longitudinally spaced portions of said reinforcing bar.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 117,830 3/1929 Brady 190-43 156,726 5/1930 Wilt. 5 110731259 9/1931 Krueger 190-41 405,442 1/1935 Wheary 190 43 X 592,321 5/1935 Lee et al. 844390 11/1938 Wilt.

6/1947 Wolsey 190-51 5/1951 Schell 61; a1. 9/1954 Marks 190-43 X FOREIGN PATENTS JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.

M. L. MINSK, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A FOLDABLE LUGGAGE BAG COMPRISING IN THE OPEN, EXTENDED CONDITION THEREOF, A CONTINUOUS, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR FLEXIBLE WALL, SAID FLEXIBLE WALL COMPRISING IN LONGITUDINAL SUCCESSION A GARMENT HOLDING SECTION, A FOLD SECTION AND A COMPARTMENT SECTION, SAID GARMENT HOLDING AND COMPRTMENT SECTIONS BEING FOLDABLE ABOUT SAID FOLD SECTION INTO OPPOSED RELATION, A U SHAPED WALL MEMBER HAVING AN END WALL PORTION AND PARALLEL SIDE WALL PORTIONS, THE BOTTOM EDGES OF THE WALL PORTIONS OF SAID U SHAPED WALL MEMBER BEING SECURED TO CORRESPONDING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID GARMENT HOLDING SECTION WALL PORTION SAID U SHAPED WALL MEMBER PROVIDING THE BOTTOM AND END WALLS OF SAID LUGGAGE BAG IN THE FOLDED, CLOSED CONDITION THEREOF, A FLEXIBLE WALLED COMPARTMENT ON THE COMPARTMENT SECTION OF SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXENDING WALL, SAID COMPARTMENT INCLUDING UPSTANDING PARALLEL SIDE WALLS AND PARALLEL END WALLS, A TOP WALL AND A BOTTOM WALL, SAID COMPARTMENT SIDE AND END WALLS BEING OF SUBSTANTIAL DEPTH AND PROJECTING INTO THE GARMENT HOLDING PORTION OF SAID BAG DEFINED BY SAID U SHAPED MEMBER AND THE GARMENT HOLDING SECTION OF SAID LONGITUDINAL FLEXIBLE WALL WHEN SAID BAG IS IN ITS FOLDED, CLOSED CONDITION, THE FLEXIBLE SIDE AND END WALLS OF SAID COMPARTMENT BEING REDUCIBLE IN DEPTH TO CONFORM TO THE BULK OF THE CONTENTS OF SAID COMPARTMENT. 